REVIEW: Marabel and The Book of Fate

Marabel and the Book of Fate
Author: Tracy Barrett

Marabel has grown up in the shadow of her twin brother, Marco. Marco....The Chosen One....the one the prophesies all say the kingdom has been waiting 1000 years for. It's a bit hard to stand out in the crowd when your twin is destined to be the answer to everything. Most days nobody in Magikos even notices her. That makes it much easier to sneak in fencing lessons in the old tower and do other unladylike, fun things. But, one day adventure finally finds Marabel.....and her life will never be the same!

This is such a magical, wonderful story! Marabel doubts herself at first but discovers friendship, courage, and a dash of wisdom on her adventurous journey. She learns that oftentimes people misjudge those who are different from themselves. She also learns about negotiation, teamwork and the true value of friendship and trust. Awesome middle grade book! Ogres, dragons, fairies, wizards, gnomes.....it has a little bit of everything, plus a lot of humor. Everything is middle grade age appropriate. There is some allegory to current social and political issues, but nothing too over the top. Just a nice lesson in not judging others by looks or culture, and that fighting is not always the correct answer to a problem. True advice.

I don't usually comment on other reviews I have read, but I'm going to this time. This book was written for children. The book is intended for a middle grade audience. Many reviews for this book are from adults complaining about the humor, character development, lack of hard hitting emotion, etc   I'm going to say this again:   THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN FOR CHILDREN. This is not an adult book....or even a YA book. It is a fantasy story with a nice moral lesson for CHILDREN, and should be reviewed as such.  I don't have a problem with adults, reviewers or anyone reading children's literature -- I love reading children's books myself and I'm a grandparent! But -- always keep in mind that the book is not written for adults, 20-somethings, or anyone older than 14 in mind.  It's a children's story -- read it, enjoy it and review it for that audience. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but don't review a children's story like it is an adult or YA story. **Off my soapbox now**

I loved this book! I'm going to purchase a copy for my granddaughter to enjoy. It's an often humorous fantasy romp through a magical land....with a dragon, WizFi, a talking unicorn and lots more....and a nice moral lesson weaved in with it all.

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Little Brown Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**